The Rain in Spain
by eponnia
Summary: Modern AU. "Susan disliked being anything but adept, but the map her hotel had given her was confusing. Well, that's what she told herself when she kept going back to ask Caspian for directions." [Sequels now include "Into the Woods", "Blessing", and the upcoming and conclusive "Everlasting". Suspian one-shot.]


**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first Suspain fic, and my first time back through the wardrobe into the Narnia fandom in about forever. There aren't enough modern AUs in this fandom, so I thought I would try to impact that number (I've seen perhaps one or two at most). This is firmly based on the 2008 film (though I'm sure you've guessed that, as the Disney movie is the only one to include Suspian).**

**I used Google Translate, so forgive me for any inaccuracies. I took two years of Spanish in high school but don't remember a thing. **

**The title of this fic comes from a famous song from the classic musical, **_**My Fair Lady**_**. **

* * *

Susan was looking at the menu written in bold strokes in chalk on the sign in front of the small coffee shop, trying to translate a word in her head, when she heard a voice close to her ear, breath brushing her skin.

"Need help translating?" the olive-skinned man asked in a thick accent, standing far too close for comfort.

"No, thank you," she replied, well aware that her British accent and the use of English in response immediately gave her away as a foreigner.

"I can buy you a drink," he went on, gesturing to the coffee shop itself and ignoring her decline.

"No, I'm fine," she said. "Excuse me." Susan tried to move past him, but he stepped with her, his body as close as before.

"Just one drink, _señorita_…"

"I said no," she said firmly, looking him in the eye. "Leave me alone," Susan added in a clear voice, hoping someone would hear her.

"What's the harm in one drink–"

"Leave me alone!"

The door of the coffee shop banged open, and a man her age, who she presumed was an employee from the faded white apron he wore and the towel he held in one hand, strode towards them. "Sopespian! Ella le pidió que se fuera!"

"No hice su," Sopespian replied, holding up his hands in mock surrender with a shrug.

"Salga y dejarla en paz!" the employee ordered, and the other man left, pushing through the crowds. Susan watched him go, relief flooding through her body.

"Estás bien?" the employee asked her, a concerned look on his features.

"Si," Susan replied. "Do you speak English?"

"Yes."

"Good. My Spanish is not as fluent as I would like," she admitted. "Thank you for getting him to leave."

"It's only the right thing to do." He gave her a smile which she returned, feeling more at ease. "Would you like me to get you anything? Whatever you like, free of charge."

"Oh, I couldn't accept."

"I–" He paused, and then inclined his head to her in a respectful nod. "Whatever you wish, _señorita_." He smiled at her again and went back into the coffee shop, stopping by a table inside to talk to a customer. Susan took a moment to watch him as he spoke to the patron, took the proffered cup, and went behind the counter to refill it.

_You are in a foreign country_, a voice told her. _You are leaving in a week and you will probably never see him again. Take his offer or regret it._

The bell above the door chimed. Susan went to the counter where he stood with his back to her, adding finishing touches to the coffee refill. "Un momento," he said, but when he turned, his dark eyes widened in surprise.

"How much for _café con leche_?" she asked with a smile.

* * *

"You take a right here, and then a left, and it will be just across the street. El Palacio Real is hard to miss."

Susan looked at her map and the line he had drawn in pen. "I read about the palace while researching I wanted to see on this trip. Your king doesn't live there, does he?"

"No, I believe he–"

"Deja de coquetear y volver al trabajo!"

Susan tried not to blush as the woman sometime in her forties with thick black hair pulled back atop her head into a bun, approached the counter from a back room, an infant on her hip. Did this woman – a manager, perhaps? – think that she was flirting with the employee?

"De inmediato, la tía," he said, and the woman returned to the back room as the infant began to cry.

"She's your aunt?" Susan asked, translating his words quickly in her head.

"She and my uncle raised me." He busied himself with arranging empty cups behind the counter. "Would you like a refill?"

"No, thank you. I should stop distracting you," Susan replied, folding her map and putting it in her purse.

"You're not a distraction," he said quickly, reaching out and putting a hand on her arm for a brief moment before pulling away.

"I'm Susan, by the way."

"Caspian," he said, shaking her proffered hand.

"I really should be going if I'm to make it to Palacio Real," she said, moving off the stool.

"If you need any more directions, feel free to stop by."

"I will, thank you."

"You are more than welcome, Susan," Caspian said sincerely. She looked up and met his gaze, catching her breath.

"Caspian!"

They both looked away as his aunt called, looking around the back room door. "I'd best be going," Susan said, walking away from the counter.

"Adiós," he called, and she looked back over her shoulder as she pulled open the door, the bell ringing.

"Adiós," she repeated before stepping over the threshold. As the door shut behind her, Susan made herself keep walking, knowing if she turned back again she might never leave the company of the handsome man with the dark eyes and accented English.

* * *

Peter and their mother had not wanted Susan to take a week in Spain. Edmund was jealous and Lucy asked to travel in her older sister's suitcase. Susan, however, was glad to get away from London and visit somewhere new; the last time she had left the country was America with Peter and their mother while their younger siblings stayed with the Scrubbs. But that had been years ago, and Susan wanted to see more of the world.

Exploring Europe close to home was a start, but Susan had not expected when she landed in the Madrid–Barajas Airport to spend her time trying to come up with plausible excuses to visit a barista in a small coffee shop tucked away in the heart of the city.

The first time she returned, she had genuinely gotten lost trying to find the Santa María la Real de La Almudena cathedral. Caspian had willingly pointed her in the right direction but she hadn't lingered because his aunt had been watching.

The second time she had decided to stop by for coffee, but someone else had been working that day.

The third time she was passing by the shop during the afternoon on her way to visit the Campo del Moro Gardens and saw him through the window. His expression lit up as he recognized her, and her lips curved up involuntarily. Pulling out her map, she went to the door of the coffee shop as he opened it.

"Need directions again?"

"Yes," she admitted, cheeks coloring. Susan disliked being anything but adept, but the map her hotel had given her was confusing.

Well, that's what she told herself when she kept going back to ask Caspian for directions.

This time, she thought she knew where she was going, but checking with a local wouldn't hurt. She unfolded her map on the counter as he made her café con leche – she tried not to read into the fact that he had her order memorized – and once to the drink was in one hand, she used the other to point at the paper.

"I looked for the gardens when I went to the palace, but I didn't see it."

"It's behind el Palacio Real." Caspian cleared his throat. "The palace royal." He avoided her gaze in embarrassment. "_Perdonar_ my English–"

"Caspian," Susan interjected kindly, placing a hand on his arm. "Your English is very good. I understand."

He finally met her gaze, but straightened as a customer entered the shop. "Excuse me," Caspian said, and left her to talk to the man and woman approaching the counter hand in hand.

As he took their orders, Susan watched him. She had only talked to him three times, though two of those conversations had been lengthy, but could tell he was considerate and respectful – everything her former boyfriend was not.

She had met Rabadash her first day at Oxford University. He had been a third year, an exchange student from India, and had charmed her almost immediately. They quickly began dating, never mind that she was eighteen and he twenty-one, to the disproval of her mother and brothers. At ten, Lucy thought the best of everyone, but Susan didn't listen to the rest of her family's warnings.

Rabadash started pressuring her to further their relationship, but she had been hesitant to go to the next level. In hindsight, Susan was convinced that the only reason he didn't try to force her into something she hadn't wanted was his semester abroad ended and he returned to India. Though she remained friends with Aravis, the other Indian exchange student who incidentally ended up dating Cor, son of a family friend, Susan refused to contact Rabadash.

That had been three years ago. She had not even been willing to go on more than one date; the most recent was months ago with Archie Webb, a bespectacled young man she had met at the train station on her way to work. He had been nice, but nearly smothered her in his attempts to provide for her every possible need. Needless to say, a second date never happened.

When Caspian returned, she gave him a smile. "Forgive me for sounding bold, but what time do you get off work?"

He glanced at his watch. "My lunch break is in ten minutes."

"Do you have time to show me to the gardens?"

A smile tugged up the corner of his mouth. "Of course."

* * *

"Would you tell me the real story, the one that only locals know?" Susan asked as they stood together by Fuente de las Conchas, a towering fountain encircled in flowers. Water spraying from it sparkled in the afternoon sunlight, the grand palace in the distance.

"I will try," Caspian said sincerely, meeting her gaze intently, and she couldn't have looked away from his dark eyes for the world.

"That's all I ask," she said softly.

"In the eleven hundreds," he said, "a king from Morocco camped here when it was just a field with his army while trying to overtake the city. I believe the palace itself was built as a fortress in the eight hundreds by Muslims when they controlled the country. But this one was built in the seventeen hundreds by a Spanish king."

They looked together at the fountain with the backdrop of the palace, the emerald-hue grassy expanses lined with trees and sparsely dotted with people.

"History gives so much meaning to the things we would otherwise ignore," she murmured.

The moment was broken when a woman passing by called out to them. "Usted es un muy bonita pareja!"

They turned quickly to see the smiling woman, and Susan's cheeks colored. "We are not a couple," she called back, unable to keep back a smile. _You're not in England, so don't speak English,_ she reminded herself, blaming her forgetfulness on the awkwardness of the situation. "No somos una pareja!"

"Eres hermosa juntos!" the woman responded.

_You would be beautiful together…_

"No somos una pareja," Caspian repeated. The woman said something quickly to him, and it was his turn to flush.

"What did she say?" Susan asked as the woman left, waving to them.

"You, make a move before someone else does," he replied, his face turning an even deeper shade of red than before.

Despite herself, Susan laughed.

He joined in, and they stood together, laughing in a golden afternoon beside a fountain where armies and kings had rested nine hundred years before. As they regained their breath, Susan looked at Caspian with his broad smile and bright eyes, wanting to stop time, if only for a moment. A thousand thoughts swirled in her head, but she only said one, a phrase she instantly loathed.

"As much as I am enjoying this," she said, for the first time in her life hating herself for being realistic, "doesn't your lunch break end soon?"

Caspian looked down at his watch. "In five minutes," he said, face falling. "Thank you for reminding me." His features told her he was anything but grateful.

"May I walk back with you?" she asked, trying to make up for seemingly pushing him away.

"Of course," he said absentmindedly, work obviously the last thing on his mind.

Neither of them moved for a moment, but Caspian was the first to speak again. "We should go," he said, taking a step back.

"We should," Susan replied with a sigh. As they walked to the entrance of the gardens, she cast one last glance over her shoulder at the fountain and its backdrop of a palace.

* * *

Rain was a fitting setting to her current mood.

She held her umbrella tightly as she made her way through the crowds to the door of the coffee shop. Pulling it open, she was greeted by the bell as she lowered her umbrella.

"Susan!" Caspian said, a grin spreading over his face. "Café con leche?"

She hesitated for a split second, but gave him a smile. "Please."

Susan leaned her soaked umbrella against the counter by her stool as she watched Caspian make her order. She made herself smile again when he gave her the cup, but it felt forced and unnatural.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, giving her a concerned look.

"No." That was a lie. She gave a mirthless, airy laugh that was almost a sigh. "It's just, I'm leaving today. To go to London."

Perhaps she shouldn't have told a man she had only known a week where she lived, but Susan didn't care.

"When?" he finally asked.

"My flight leaves in two hours, but the taxi will be at my hotel in forty minutes. I can only stay for ten."

Susan avoided looking at him by taking a sip from her coffee. Setting it down on the counter, she wrapped her hands around the mug, keep her gaze fixed on it. She thought when she arrived at the coffee shop she would be able to say goodbye easily, but now words were escaping her.

"Oh, I didn't pay you," she said suddenly, reaching for her purse, but stopped when she felt his hand on her arm – only of the only times they had ever touched.

"Don't worry about it."

A simple "thank you" was all she could say as she gazed into his eyes.

"By the way," she said, her brain turning on again, "my last name is Pevensie." Again, it was probably dangerous to tell someone she hardly knew her surname, but she found herself trusting him inexplicably.

"Mine is Torres," he replied, and looked at his watch. "You've been here fifteen minutes."

"Oh, I'm going to be late!" She grabbed her umbrella and purse, jumping from the stool. Just as she was about to bolt out of the coffee shop, she turned back.

"Thank you" seemed too simple of a goodbye, but she hoped her tone and expression conveyed everything she could not find the words to say.

He only inclined his head in response, a half-smile on his lips, but the look in his eyes spoke only of sorrow – a feeling she knew all too well. She had to physically force herself to leave, and managed to stop her tears by the time she got back to her hotel.

* * *

"Thank you for coming with me tonight," Archie said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Susan only smiled in response, but it felt forced. Guilt had been gnawing at her during the entire dinner, but now it was even more persistent. As they walked together down the sidewalk from the restaurant – a nice one, she had to admit – Susan debated with herself.

"So, your trip to Spain," he said, trying to start up conversation again. "You enjoyed it, yes?"

She shrugged, not meeting his gaze.

"Do you think you'll ever go back?" Archie asked.

_He doesn't deserve this_, she told herself firmly.

"Archie," she said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk below a lamppost, the harsh electric light casting a pool around them. He stopped with her and waited for her to continue.

_Just stop this before it gets any farther_.

"I have to tell you something," Susan began. "I have no idea how to say this, but… I don't know if this is working out."

"Why not?" Archie asked. Looking at his open expression, guilt resurged.

"I really do like you," she started, kicking herself for uttering those words. "The dinner was good and the restaurant great and you are very sweet, but…"

"But it's not working out?" he asked, pushing up his glasses again.

"Something like that," she said lamely. "I am so sorry–"

"I understand," he said kindly, and she hated herself for hurting him.

"I know everyone hates to hear the 'it's not you, it's me' speech," she said, "but I just need to figure some things out."

"It's fine," Archie said. "Take as much time as you need. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No, it's alright." Susan's eyes widened as she tried to recover. "I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to run, or something, I just–"

"Need space," he finished. "Well, thank you for at least coming on this date and the one before. Have a good evening, Susan."

"You, too," she said. An apology rested on her lips, but she said nothing as he walked away.

As she went up the stairs to her apartment a short distance from the restaurant, Susan berated herself. _At least you ended things before you got in too deep_, she reasoned, but even that thought provided little comfort. As she reached her floor, she dug into her purse to find her keys and looked up to see Caspian standing outside her door.

He evidently had been knocking, trying to reach her, and turned away with a frustrated and disappointed look. Then he saw her, and they stared at each other.

"It's been four months." Susan's voice cracked. "I left Spain four months ago and you never called. You never contacted me."

"I had to save up enough money to buy a plane ticket here," Caspian explained. "Coffee shops don't pay well."

"You could have contacted me," she pressed. "I told you my last name. You could have looked me up."

"I'm here, aren't I?" he shot back, and she watched him force himself to regain composure. "I didn't want to give you false hope. Coming in person would be better – _is_ better."

"False hope?" she said with a bitter laugh. "_False hope_? I would have taken a phone call, an email, a bloody text over silence for months."

"It looks like you seemed to be getting along fine without me," he said, gesturing to her composed attire. "You seemed to have moved on."

"I was trying to get over the fact that I would never see you again!" she said angrily. "And for the record, I just ended things with the guy I went out with because I didn't want to hurt him any more than I had. I was using him to forget the fact that I am still in love with you!"

Her eyes widened in surprise as her own revelation as Caspian stared at her. She hadn't intended to yell those words in the hallway of her apartment during a fight for all her neighbors to hear. She had tried to repress the feeling for months, tried to forget him by immersing herself in work and classes and going out with a sweet, innocent guy who didn't deserve what she threw at him.

But it was true.

"You… you still have feelings for me?" Caspian asked in disbelief.

"Yes," she replied, but the anger was gone. "Is that so surprising?"

"I had hoped," he began quietly, "that you had felt the way I did."

"You…?"

"Yes. I fell in love with you the day you came in the shop."

"None of this erases those four months," she said after a long moment.

"I know, and I'm not going to try to pretend it didn't happen." Caspian sighed. "I ask for your forgiveness, but I don't expect it right away. I know I have to make things up to you before I can ever hope to receive it. Which I don't."

There was another long silence.

"Where do we go from here?" she finally said.

"I have no idea," he admitted.

"Are you staying in London long?"

"Indefinitely, I hope."

"What?"

"I made plans to move here."

"You _what_?" Susan exclaimed.

"There is nothing left for me in Madrid," Caspian said.

"You left everything you knew just on the chance that you would find me again?" Susan asked, hardly able to wrap her brain around the thought. "You did that for me?"

He nodded.

"I… I don't know what to say."

"As it is getting very late, I believe now would be a good time to part ways," Caspian said. "For the evening. Or until you would like to meet again. Goodnight, Susan." He walked past her to the top of the stairs that she had just ascended, and had gone down a few steps before she called out.

"Caspian, wait."

He turned back to her, and she bit her lip. Acting impulsively was not her strong suit, but she didn't let her brain tell her to stop. "I would like to see you again," she said softly. "Does tomorrow work for you?"

He nodded, corners of his mouth tugging up.

"I can show you the best coffee in London. Or, so I've been told," she added.

"Is it as good as mine?" he asked, giving her a smile.

She laughed. "Probably not."

They looked at each other for a moment, and Susan found that her smile never wavered.

"Tomorrow, then," he said. "Goodnight, Susan."

"Goodnight, Caspian." She watched him descend the stairs before she turned and went to her apartment door. As she pushed it open, her lips still held a smile.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: In case you were wondering, Archie Webb is in fact the boy from the train station in PC. **

**Well, ten pages and nearly four thousand words later, there is my first Suspian. I was considering splitting this into two chapters, but I've always wanted to write one of those epically long one-shots. **

**There is a (shorter) sequel up called _Blessing_, and another universe installment in the works set between _The Rain in Spain_ and _Blessing_, called _Into the Woods_. It's not explicitly Suspian, but the pairing is in there.**

**I hope you enjoyed _The Rain in Spain_. **


End file.
